Thank you to everyone who participated in OD Network's Regional Leaders Virtual Gathering on April 25, 2014. As a Network of networks, the OD Network convenes the regional leader community to support networking and knowledge exchange. The accompanying presentation contains the agenda and updates on some of the tools ODN recently introduced to regional leaders.

Several regional leaders shared emerging practices to create alliances with related organizations (e.g., ASTD, SHRM, ICF). Rather than compete for member time, attendance, and money, organizations are coordinating their meetings on a central calendar, hosting shared events, allowing each others’ members to pay member rates for events. The San Diego network has created the San Diego Workforce Performance Alliance in an attempt to have more joint programs across the region. While still in the experimental phase, organization presidents are formulating draft agreements for 2015. South Bay ODN participates in the NorCal Association Consortium and has created a shared calendar of events (www.changeleaderevents.com). The ODN of Western NY partners with a local college’s center for professional development to use space at no cost for its monthly meetings. Regionals discussed specific outreach to universities to draw more faculty and students from OD programs to regional events (discount rate or 3 free tickets) as well as reaching out to local OD gurus to attend regional events.

Another discussion theme was attracting other professions that may benefit from incorporating OD principles/practices into their work, broadening who regionals think of as members. The Philadelphia regional attracts professionals in the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and the arts community. ODN is also looking to attract business leaders and others who use OD but may not consider themselves OD practitioners. Regionals could also seek to attract local business leaders to educate them on how organization development can support their business goals (e.g., host an executive panel on organization change).

Regionals are posting more pictures from their events on websites, Twitter, and Instagram so there was a question about getting permission to post attendee pictures. Most regionals shared that they inform participants that pictures will be taken and participants who do not want to be included in a photo can inform the photographer. Some regionals include this information as a disclaimer at the registration desk and others do so verbally at the start of the meeting.

Future Discussion Topics

Several discussion topics were identified for future teleconferences as well as the face to face meeting in October at the ODN Annual Conference:

· Careers in OD and OD as a profession. How does OD differentiate itself from training and HR? What language do we use to attract other professions to OD? Are younger practitioners using different terminology like change leadership that we need to incorporate into our marketing and communications? How do we continue to tie OD to the business?

Regional leaders can contact their Regional Connectors to walk through the new knowledge exchange tools and help leaders post regional management practices and programs in the tools (http://www.odnetwork.org/?RegionalKnowledge). Regional Connectors will take up the action item to identify how to make these tools more accessible (connectivity to other frequently used tools like LinkedIn or other reminders).

Please contact your Regional Connector with comments or questions about this virtual gathering.